My Story – Father Lessons

18th July 20235th September 2024

The Male Friendship Recession

Although it definitely resonates with me, I’d never heard of the term ‘male friendship recession‘ until recently. Now I’m seeing it everywhere. And it turns out that it’s been around for at least a couple of years.

I had assumed that my own relative lack of close friends was due to having moved country twice in the last decade. And as I’ve got older, making new friends has just become less easy. Or I’ve put less effort into it. Whatever – the fact is that my circle of male friends that I hang out with has got smaller and smaller over time. But I’m far from alone in this.

18th January 202318th January 2023

Men’s Groups

I’ve been in a men’s group since November 2018, meeting with seven (recently it became eight) other guys and the facilitator every other week, and it has literally changed my life because it’s opened me up to a whole other world of possibilities. It set me on a journey to finally, in my mid-to-late 50s, figure out and get in touch with who I am.

28th June 202223rd November 2022

Two Years, Too Long

The outdoor pool at Trealy Farm in Wales.

Wow, it’s been almost two years since I last updated this blog. You may have assumed it was dead in the water.

They’ve been two very interesting, challenging, rewarding years that have seen me develop and grow in ways that I hope will help me make Father Lessons a more mature and focused project.

During those two years, I’ve never thought of Father Lessons as ‘dead’, simply as dormant while I figure out what direction I want to go with it. I thought I knew when I started, but a lot of subconscious resistance as well as conscious doubts led to me being unsure. And rather than stumble on blindly, trusting that things would become clear, I decided to back off.

But I haven’t been idle.

29th July 202029th July 2020

Manstock 2020

Anyone up to date on this blog will know that I belong to a regular men’s group. We usually meet up once every other week in north London, but since the lockdown started we’ve been meeting up on Zoom on a varying schedule. The group is actually one of three run by the same therapist, Jerry Hyde, and once a year all three groups gather for what is lovingly called “Manstock”.

8th April 202029th July 2020

Father Lessons Back on Zoom

Would you like to join a group discussion about Fatherhood?

Following up last week’s first online meetup, I’m hosting another Zoom gathering this Friday, April 10. Again, it’s scheduled for 2pm UK time (6am on the US west coast, 10pm in Japan). Not ideal for everyone, I know, but let’s see how it goes.

Please let me know in the comments below if you think you’ll be able to make it.
The plan is to run the meetup for about an hour.
If you haven’t used Zoom before, it’s best to download it before the meeting.

To join the meeting, click the link below. I’ve set it up so that there will be a virtual “waiting room”. This allows me to control who joins the meeting, and for everyone’s privacy, I’ve also set it up so the password “fathers” is needed to gain access, but it’s already embedded in the link below.

Category: My Story

The Male Friendship Recession

Men’s Groups

Two Years, Too Long

Manstock 2020

Father Lessons Back on Zoom

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